HTC and Samsung make up 86% of UK Android sales according to new report

According to a new report, almost 9 in every 10 Android devices sold in the UK belong to either HTC or Samsung. Android itself is also said to account for half of all smartphone sales, vastly outnumbering the Apple iPhone.

The information provided by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech show that Android has a 50.1% market share in the UK, up from 44.6% 12-months ago. In the last three months alone, Samsung and HTC between them have accounted for 86% of all Android devices sold. The launch of the HTC One series does no harm, as does the continued success of the Samsung Galaxy range. With the imminent arrival shores of the Galaxy S III on British shores, these numbers are not likely to slide much over the coming months.

The report also shows that Sony is still struggling to make serious headway in the smartphone market. It's slipped to 10.4% of the Android market, despite the recent launch of the Xperia S. It could be worse for Sony though. LG accounts for less than 1% of all Android sales in the UK. And, with stories of yet more lengthy waits for updates to existing devices, the company's image isn't likely to improve much further. This is despite the forthcoming launch of the Optimus 4X HD next month, which looks like a solid high-end product from the Korean manufacturer.

All in all, it really isn't surprising that HTC and Samsung have such a stranglehold on the British market. Samsung push their phones in the UK really hard. HTC have upped their marketing too since the launch of the One line, with a massive marketing campaign that even sees an advertisement nestled within the Virgin Media Tivo interface. The sheer scale of the two's dominance is still slightly surprising though.

Reader comments

HTC and Samsung make up 86% of UK Android sales according to new report

Impressive, as a Brit I myself do indeed have a HTC (Desire S) and my contract is finishing in October of this year however I won't be going with HTC again, this time round at least, and I had thought I might go for the Samsung GSIII but seem to like it less and less each day. I am actually wanting to buy a Sony, I find their designs to be much nicer than what Sammy and HTC are churning out atm. Just have to hope for a nice mid range device from Sony to come out between now and then for a nice cheap monthly deal; that or go for the Xperia S/P which will be considerably cheaper by then and hopefully available on a 18 month deal rather than the annoying 24 month, all my more "hardcore" gaming needs will be covered by the Vita so don't care about all this quad-core immense gaming performance malarkey. Roll on E3!

I hear what you're saying about the Sony phones. They do look great but if the Nexus news is true I'd hold out for their Nexus offering.

Having been burnt by SE before I wouldn't go there again and the SGII has been my most satisfying Android experience. So good that I'm in fear for my upgrade next year as I want a flagship phone but I don't want it bigger than the SGII. Give me Super Amoled Plus edge to edge Samsung please.... pretty please.

I guess we wont get edge to edge screens unless apple does it first. :(

I am in the UK and have a HTC Sensation XE which is an amazing phone (at least in comparison to the BlackBerry I had before.) Having said that there are SGS2 posters everywhere where I live in Bristol. HTC could up their marketing game a bit I think.